An Interview with David Presley
1985 Time Pilot '84 World Record Holder, by Paul Dean
David Presley (1985) Time Pilot '84
David Presley's 1985 World Record score of
342,900 on Time Pilot '84 was accomplished
at College Station, Texas on June 30, 1985
during the 1985 Third Annual Masters Tournament.
(1985 VGMT)
This score was published in the 1986 Guinness
Book of World Records and the following year
on June 28, 1986 his score was beat by
Samantha Johanik at the Aladdin's Castle #413
in Des Moines, IA at the 1986 Fourth Annual
Masters Tournament.
(1986 VGMT)
Samantha Johanik 1986 high score of 463,300 is
the current world record score.
David Presley has taken some time out of his
Film schedule to tell me about his 1986 Guinness
Book World Record accomplishment:

David Presley Time Pilot '84
June 30, 1985
342,900
Time Pilot '84
Time Pilot '84
Manufacturer: Konami
Year: 1984
Genre: Shooter
Time Pilot '84 - Game Play
This game has a lot more going on than in the original
Time Pilot game which was released in 1982. This new
Time Pilot '84 futurstic alien cityscape is large and
encompassing while the map itself remains the same for
every level, some enemy locations are shuffled around
so it helps to have a pattern for each level.
There are many different types of enemy types in this
game. Each have their own movements, patterns and
difficulty. There are special hidden bonuses and
secret enemies which that appear from time to time
including the original time pilot giving you extra
points if you destroy it. You must kill the last large
saucer in order to advance to the next level.
Time Pilot '84 Reference Site link
TG Leaderboard Time Pilot '84: link
Time Pilot '84
Variation: Points
Platform: Arcade
Rules: Dip Switch #1:
1-8 = OFF
Dip Switch #2:
1-2 = OFF
3 = ON/OFF [Upright/Table]
4 = ON
5-6 = OFF
7-8 = ON
Note: The above Dip Switches, are not only the FACTORY DEFAULT settings,
but are also the correct Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings for this title
and will provide the following settings;
Number of Planes: 3
Bonus Plane: 40,000 Points & Every 80,000 Points
Difficulty: 3
Score Points Player Date Verified Scoring Method
1 100.00 % 463,300 Samantha Johanik 06/28/1986 Referee
2 74.01 % 342,900 David Presley 06/30/1985 Referee
David Presley
Napa, CA
United States
Game Score Rank
Arcade 3836 Commando 75,700 28
Gridiron Fight 630 2
Karate Champ 33,900 31
Kung Fu Master 372,600 7
Time Pilot '84 342,900 2
David Presley answers some questions about his history with Time Pilot '84

Paul Dean interviews David Presley on his Time Pilot '84 world record
published in the Guinness Book in 1986.
David's Time Pilot '84 world record was published
Time Pilot 84, David Presley, College Station, Texas 342,900
-------------
(PD): = Paul Dean
(DP)-> = David Presley
(PD): Did you play other games besides Time Piilot '84 and how much time
did you spend at the arcades in the 1980s? Where you in high school at
the time?
(DP)-> I started working at an arcade at the age of 12, so I played every
game of the day, all day, every day.
(PD): How long did it take you to master Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> A long time. I spent a good year at it.
(PD): Did you have a particular threshold score you wanted to get past
in Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> 1 million, which i have achieved.
(PD): How did you hear about the Guinness Book Twin Galaxies 3rd Annual
Masters Tournament event? Did you know Walter Day, TG Founder or any
of the great players that were in Texas at that time? Did you know any
of the TG refs at the time?
(DP)-> I knew them all, I'm still in occasional contact with Walter.
(PD): How many times did you play in order for you to get your high score?
During the play period for the 86 record about 1000 times.
(PD): How many minutes/hours did it take to get your world record score?
(DP)-> At that level setting it's a fast game, about 15 minutes at the most.
(PD): Did you get published in any magazines with your world record score?
(DP)-> Not that I am aware of.
(PD): Was there any fame involved with your score?
(DP)-> Just the 86 book
(PD): Where you an expert on other games?
(DP)-> No I wasn't
(PD): When did you know that you had indeed a verified world record score
to be published in the Guinness Book of World Records?
(DP)-> Soon after the 86 play period
(PD): What are your comparisons between Time Pilot and Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> Completely different games. I enjoy them both.
(PD): Time Pilot '84 takes you further into the unknown world than the
original Time Pilot and has better graphics. What is it that drew you
to play Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> Space. always like the space games.
(PD): The Original Dedicated coin operated game Time Pilot was released
in 1982 and then Time Pilot '84 was released in 1984 in order to take
advantage of the success of Time Pilot. Time Pilot '84 was manufactured
mostly in conversion kit form with only a few hundred actual dedicated
cabinet Time Pilot '84 video games. Did you play on a dedicated cabinet
game or converted kit game?
(DP)-> Conversion kit and I eventually bought one of my own. Never saw
an original but now that you have told me I will start looking.
(PD): Did you play much of the original Time Pilot in 1982 before
mastering Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> No, too young.
(PD): Where you good at Time Pilot?
(DP)-> No
(PD): Did you like the original Time Pilot?
(DP)-> Yes
(PD): What do you like or dislike in comparing Time Pilot to Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> The space science fiction aspect is what drew me to '84
(PD): It is interesting that the original game Time Pilot designed by
Yoshiki Okamoto LICENSOR: Konami, and Manufacturer: Centuri had two
different versions for this game. In the Konami version, the fourth
era is 1982 while in the Centuri licensed version, the fourth era
is 1983. The Time Pilot '84 team was not the same group who programmed
the original Time Pilot. Yoshiki Okamoto also created Konami's Gyruss
and the Capcom Street Fighter series which remains one of the most
important and successful video game franchises ever created.
(DP)-> How is the feel of Time Pilot '84 similar or different to Time
Pilot as I understand the turning radius is a bit different and takes
some getting used to?
(DP)-> Yes, even for it's day it was a simple control system.
The fun came in finding the hidden targets and knowing the locations
of bonus ships.
(PD): Is game play strategy and difficulty a lot different between
Time Pilot and Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> Yes.
(PD): 1984: Time Pilot '84 questions:
(PD): You are equipped with two weapons, a blaster, and guided
missiles. Guided missiles can only be used when you point yourself
at the enemy until the "lock on" appears. Do you use any particular
strategies or techniques to gain an advantage in this game?
(DP)-> It's all about establishing a pattern for every level to hit
all the bonuses you can.
(PD): Does your Time Pilot '84 game play utilize any particular
strategy or pattern in order to increase scoring or the ability to
get through the screens/levels?
(DP)-> Yes
(PD): Are there any unique strategies used to kill the boss and the
end of each level?
(DP)-> None, dodge and fight
(PD): How many levels did you complete on your world record game?
(DP)-> I don't remember
(PD): Did the game get harder at the upper levels?
(DP)-> Yes, but it's not exponential like most games but a gradient
curve.
(PD): What are you doing these days as a profession? Are you still
living in Texas? Any immediate goals in life or gaming?
(DP)-> Gaming, Love WOW.
(DP)-> I Live in California, and am retiring to Hawaii soon.
(DP)-> My Career has been in film. Imdb link
PROFILE: Imdb:
David Presley - FILM
Born: April 3, 1970 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA
Camera and Electrical Department 51 Titles
Director - (5 titles)
Writer (5 titles)
Other works for David Presley More at IMDbPro »
(2005): Directed music video for Sugar In Wartime, "Bitter Thing."
(2004): Directed music video for Fatal Instinct, "Dippin'."
David Presley - Trivia: 1986 Guinness Book of World Records
for highest score on the video game Timepilot '84.
Served in the elite US Army Airborne as a reconnaissance expert.
Personal Quote: "Are we rolling?"
(PD): Do you still game at all, and when did you last play
Time Pilot '84?
(DP)-> I still play. My conversion recently broke from over use.
As a small note. I was in the military serving over seas and was
unable to play for the 87' book. I can easily beat that score and
my original 86' score.
(PD): Would you ever try going for the current world record score
of 463,300 held by Samantha Johanik on 06/28/1986 ?
(DP)-> I can, but what's the point? Guinness doesn't publish it.
(PD): Do you play any of the new games that are out today? How do
you compare games today to the games of the 1980's? Which did you
like better?
(DP)-> Games of today are better. Halo being my favorite.
(PD): Did you ever watch the King of Kong or follow the competitions
on coin operated classic games these days?
(PD): Movie: The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters - Steve Wiebe
and Billy Mitchell link(DP)-> Yes, saw the film.
(PD): People are still competing on the coin operated classic
games from the 1980s, do you ever check in with Twin Galaxies
on scores, or on the forums?
(PD): Twin Galaxies International Scoreboard: link(DP)-> Not much. I'm too busy with work.
(PD): There is a group of top players that are constantly
in debate over the classic games of yesteryear and share ideas
on these coin operated games. This site is called Classic Arcade
Gaming (CAGdc). link
(PD): If you want to check in and say hello, and still follow
the classics we'd love to hear from you on these forums, which
are very active.
(PD): Do you have a comment about how the video game world is
going or anything else you wish to mention?
(DP)-> Nope. Maybe I'll get a hold of Walter and beat that
current score
(PD): Thank you for your time David Presley, really have enjoyed
your answers giving us a glimpse of what was going on with
competitive gaming in the 1980's!!!
(PD): Thank you!
(PD): Paul Dean
www.spyhunter007.com